BJP Leader Condemns Bangladesh's Yunus for Controversial Northeast India Reference
In a sharp rebuke, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary Mahesh Jethmalani has criticized Muhammad Yunus, the outgoing chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, for his remarks about India's northeastern states. Jethmalani accused Yunus of failing to recognize these regions as integral parts of India during his televised farewell address on Monday.
Controversial Address Draws Political Fire
Jethmalani, a senior advocate, described Yunus's speech as "another gratuitous sermon on India" and characterized the former Nobel laureate as a "headline-chasing interim figure who treats India as a prop." He specifically objected to Yunus's reference to what he called "India's north-east and seven sisters"—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura—without explicitly stating they are part of India.
"The headline-chasing head sprinkled his televised address with the familiar sovereignty/dignity theatrics and a sly reference to India's north-east and seven sisters without calling them part of India," Jethmalani stated emphatically.
Accusations of Political Grandstanding
The BJP leader suggested Yunus was attempting to divert attention from domestic challenges in Bangladesh. "When you can't govern, you grandstand. When you can't stabilize your own country, you try to manufacture an external villain—preferably the neighbor that actually functions," Jethmalani remarked pointedly.
He further criticized Yunus's leadership, noting that the interim government took charge following violent protests in 2024 that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government. Jethmalani asserted that Yunus, who was not elected, has presided over a Bangladesh that appears increasingly "unmoored" and unstable.
Character Assessment and Political Legacy
Jethmalani did not mince words in his assessment of Yunus's political persona, labeling him a "Soros-lackey chameleon" and questioning his consistency. "One day he behaves like a global icon; the next he is the local strongman-in-waiting, feeding the same old insinuations for applause," he observed critically.
He concluded that Yunus's tenure would be remembered for "hubris that is beyond redemption" and ideological inconsistency, suggesting his politics rely on "networks and patronage, not mandate and performance." The swearing-in of BNP chairman Tarique Rahman as Bangladesh's new prime minister on Tuesday marked the formal end of Yunus's interim government, bringing this chapter of bilateral diplomatic tension to a close.
